Arriving

Hyeon was in awe of their transportation. This year's Cadillac Escalade had the latest sleek technology and its black color reminded him of those spy movies. Their chauffeur seemed decent since he greeted them and held the vehicle door open. Sani mentioned that the mansion was in the middle of the national park, so the trip would be around an hour.

Hyeon was looking at the vibrant flora outside and started getting lost in anxious thoughts. He noticed that his body felt sore ever since he passed out, particularly his upper back. The only conclusion he could come to was him collapsing with a mixture of being tired. It was just odd.

Sani was looking at his papers and muttering to himself. "Let's see...Hyeon Falken...22 years old...born on December 21, 20xx in Yellowknife, Canada...grew up in Toronto, Canada...Mr. Falken?"

Hyeon didn't hear. He was watching the trees zip by.

"Mr. Falken?"

Hyeon snapped out of his trance. "Ah, yes? Hyeon is fine since you also asked to be called by your first name, too."

Sani smirked slightly. "Thanks for your permission. Anyway, I noticed this on your resume before but we didn't go into detail about it during our interview. It looks like you worked temporarily in the United States on an entertainment visa. What exactly did you do there?"

"For 8 years, my hobby was bojutsu which also goes by bo-staff. I practiced with a troupe and traveled to perform."

This topic made Hyeon feel a little uncomfortable since it brought up unpleasant memories. It was a significant part of his employment history, so he had no choice but to keep it on his resume. One fact Hyeon doesn't tell people was that he was going to be a professional when he turned 18 until...that happened.

Sani continued asking questions. "And do you still perform? That's quite an interesting talent."

"No, I don't do bo-staff anymore."

"I see." Sani pulled out some papers. "This is your contract to work for Festr Castle. I was going to go over the contract with you at the coffee shop, but there was a delay in your arrival. If you don't mind, you can read it now and sign it before we arrive."

Hyeon skimmed over the contract. It seemed simple enough: Be on time, clean, provide what the Master needs, etc. He signed it and passed it back to his new, official manager.

As they got closer to their destination, Hyeon was feeling more unlike himself. Half of him felt like running back to where he came from while the other half kept pressing forward. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his temple. His stomach was also feeling a little queasy. Taking a look at Nammi, she was chill inside of her carrier.

*It has to be anxiety. Should I go see a doctor later? Going from this location to town will be a pain, though.*

"Are you feeling okay, Hyeon? Your face is a little furrowed," Sani asked.

"I'm fine. I guess it's nerves since I feel hot and nauseous about being in a new place."

Understanding showed on Sani's face. "Do you also feel like escaping but wanting to continue at the same time?"

"Uh, yeah. How did you know?"

"We are going enter the spegill soon to transition," Sani said as a matter-of-fact. His gaze was fixated on Hyeon's contract.

Hyeon was genuinely confused. Transitioning? "What's a spegill?"

Surprised, Sani said, "Spegill is a common name for them, but maybe you'd know them as mirrors in English? I'm surprised you didn't recognize the symptoms. Doesn't your family or friends use any sort of spegill to get away from human society?"

*A mirror?*

Before Hyeon could question what he meant, the car stopped.

"Sir, we've arrived," said the driver.

"Thank you, Blue. You can park the Cadillac and rest."

Blue opened Sani's door and did the same thing for Hyeon. He stepped out and realized they were in the middle of nowhere in the thick forest. Shifting to his left, Hyeon was shocked to see an entrance to a cave.

"Welcome to Festr Castle, Hyeon."

The cave opening was the height of a small house and was pitch black inside. Droplets of water fell from the moss hanging over the edge. It smelled very…damp. Even from Hyeon's position, he could hear the raindrops create small echoes within its depths.

Wait...

*THIS is Festr Castle? In there? In the deep forest? Hyeon had so many disturbing questions. Now it made sense why residents can't find a freaking castle on this island. It wasn't even real!*

Blue was unloading Hyeon's suitcase while Sani carried his own belongings. "Before we head inside, let's-"

"N-no thanks."

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Sani paused.

"I've seen enough crime and murder documentaries to know what's going down. I will fight back." Hyeon was thinking how in the world he could grab Nammi from the car while fighting these two off before they had their way with him.

Sani doubled over laughing. Chauffeur Blue tried to remain in character and chuckled to Sani, "He's a comical one."

Sani wiped a tear from his eyes. "Right! Anyway, I'm glad we arrived. I don't feel the same when I have to hide my tail. It's also draining to make you look human, Blue."

Cigarette-like smoke suddenly appeared around Sani's head, hands, and rear end. Blue was engulfed in it. Within a couple of seconds, the smoke disappeared. Sani now had dog-looking ears, longer nails, and a fluffy tail which were the same color as his rusty hair.

Blue...well, he went from a forgettable face to an ACTUAL DOG!

"Again, Mr. Falken, welcome to Festr Mansion."